The present invention relates to a method of providing text on printed products, and to an apparatus for implementing the method.
EP-A-0 096 228 and the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,161 disclose an arrangement for addressing newspapers, periodicals and similar printed products. The arrangement has a conveying system which is designed as a unit conveyor and which has clamps which are arranged at intervals one behind the other, and with the clamps each being configured to grip one printed product. The conveying system guides the printed products past a stationary ink-jet printer. A clock generator is provided which is driven by the unit conveyor and which emits a control signal for each clamp. The control signal triggers in each case one printing operation of the printer when a printed product passes through the printing region of the printer.
A method of, and an apparatus for, providing text on printed products are also known from EP-A-0 709 218. In this apparatus, a conveying system moves the printed products, which overlap one another in an imbricated manner, past a first printing station in the conveying direction. The printing station applies text to the outer side of the printed products which is directed towards it, in a text panel which is arranged in the border region which is exposed by the imbricated overlap. Before the printed products are guided past a second printing station, a border region of the second outer side of the printed products is exposed, for example by being turned over. The second printing station then provides text on printed products in a further text panel in the border region of the second outer side.
A further method of, and an apparatus for, providing text on an inner side of folded printed products are disclosed in EP-A-0 709 326 and in a corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,932. In this case, the printed products are transported with their fold, which runs approximately at right angles to the conveying direction, retained by means of clamps. An opening device moves the front and rear halves of the respective folded printed products apart from one another, with the result that a printing head can carry out the desired text-applying operation on the inner side of the folded printed product.
These known methods and apparatuses are suitable, in particular, for providing text on printed products in a border region which does not contain any printing. If the text or part thereof is located in the printed region of the printed products, there can be problems as far as the clarity and legibility of the information are concerned.
It is thus an object of the present invention to develop the method of the described type such that the information which is to be applied to the printed products can be seen and read easily in all circumstances. It is also an object of the present invention to provide apparatuses which are particularly suitable for implementing the method according to the invention.
The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by the provision of a method and apparatus wherein the printed products are conveyed in an overlapping imbricated stream and such that a border region of each printed product is exposed by the imbricated overlap. A contrast panel, which forms a text panel, is applied to the exposed border region of each printed product, and the contrast panel forms a contrast with respect to the information which is to be applied. This ensures that the information always appears in contrast with respect to its surroundings and can thus be seen and read easily.
The method according to the invention is suitable, in particular, for providing text on printed products which are produced by means of gravure printing. In the case of these printed products, the printed information often extends right up to the border of the printed sheets. The application of a contrast panel, which forms the text panel, allows the information to be seen and read easily, even when the printed information is of the same color as the text or is of a color which does not form much of a contrast with respect to the text.
A particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention utilizes a contrast panel which is partially transparent. Such a panel forms a good contrast with respect to the information and also allows the printed information of the printed product to be seen and read when the contrast panel overlaps the printed information.